Although it’s been three years since Mark Latham took over as conductor of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra (WSO), he and its 65 members have yet to exit their honeymoon stage. “I love working with Mark. It’s heavenly,” says Carol Davidson, the Orchestra’s first viola and longest-running member. “We’re playing music we never would have tackled before, and we’re doing it well.”
Latham, who previously was at UMass Lowell as an adjunct faculty member and orchestra conductor for 12 years, acknowledges that he asks the group to take on very challenging compositions, praising their “openness to new ideas, their receptivity and willingness to take a bold step. They always come up when they need to, and it’s been fantastic. There hasn’t been a single concert that I’ve at all been disappointed in,” he said.
One note at a time
Seems the word has gotten out that Latham is a conductor that musicians want to work with. Over the past two years, the orchestra-in-residence at MassBay Community College since 1948 has welcomed over 20 new musicians. The most recent annual musicians’ survey about programming, rehearsals—and Latham as a music director—reflected off-the-charts morale among the group. His practical approach to aiming high has resonated. He coaches musicians not to worry about the notes at first during their home practice sessions. Latham asks them to use their metronomes, start slow, and gradually increase the speed. The notes will come with practice, he counsels.
The music Latham chooses isn’t difficult for the mere sake of difficulty. Latham says he chooses what to present to the musicians and the public because it says something to him, and he believes it will do the same for the orchestra and audiences.
Violinist Basema Safa-Mallal has been playing with the WSO for two years. She started playing in 4th grade through her Pittsfield, Mass. public school’s music program. Safa-Mallal continued on through college with the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra while pursuing a degree in economics at Williams College. From there, she followed a career path to Fidelity Investments, in product management. Like the other WSO musicians, she has a busy life outside of the weekly rehearsals and at-home practice time. But she likes a challenge. “The violin has been a lifelong passion for me. Although I didn’t pursue it as a profession, playing at such a high level with the WSO is incredibly exhilarating.”
Her two daughters (ages 2 and 4) hear their mom practice at home, and have attended concerts. Balancing her responsibilities while pursuing her love for music is one way Safa-Mallal sets an example for her girls about discipline and the importance of following your passions. But it’s also about the camaraderie among talented musicians who are passionate about classical music. “We all come prepared, ready to perform, but also look forward to chatting during breaks,” she says.
Group harmony
French horn player Michael Welles can’t pinpoint how long he’s been with the WSO—”You know, I’m not entirely sure. At least 25 years.” But the retired founder of a high-tech video monitoring company does know that playing the horn for him is mental health self-care, and the sheer joy of making music, in equal measures.
“Sometimes musicians can be over-competitive and off-putting,” something Welles has not experienced in the WSO, he says. “It’s a very friendly group of musicians who really enjoy playing music together and creating the very best performances we can for our audience.”
Welles identifies as a music hobbyist, and says he’s never played professionally, but has played in groups with professionals. Life as an amateur French horn player certainly sounds all-encompassing, however. Between playing with the WSO, joining in with other local groups for fun, and attending music performance conferences each summer, Welles keeps music front and center in his life.
Once an audience hears the WSO, he says they are usually impressed and want to come back. “We continue to look for ways and music that we feel can bring people together in the overall experience. We’re always open to new ideas,” he says.
What are your weaknesses?
Any negatives about playing in the WSO are those things that actually turn out to be positives. Davidson says sometimes during rehearsals Latham tends to get lost in the music. “But we’re tired after two hours, so I have to tell him we need a break earlier,” she says.
Latham says the acoustics in the concert hall took some getting used to, offering a warm sound to the audience, “but when you’re on stage, it can be hard to appreciate that.”
What everyone at the WSO wants people to know is that they offer really interesting performances and music, in a welcoming environment. “My modus operandi is if we’re not having fun, then something is amiss. Myself included. If I’m not having fun, well, why would I do it?” Latham asks.
Audiences are invited to a great time at these upcoming concerts:
EVENT: Concert—”From the Americas”
DATE: Sunday, Nov. 3
TIME: 2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College, 50 Oakland St., Wellesley
DETAILS: Carlos Simon: Breathe; Samuel Barber: Cello Concerto, Brent Selby, cello; Leonard Bernstein: West Side Story
*TICKETS: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=249047
EVENT: Holiday Concert
DATE: Saturday, Dec. 14
TIME: 2pm
LOCATION: MassBay Community College, 50 Oakland St., Wellesley
DETAILS: Music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Vaughan Williams, Lumbye, Lopez (arr. Kragstad), Wendel, Anderson; ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas; plus the annual sing-along.
*TICKETS: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=249046
*To make sure everybody in the community can access concerts, the WSO offers a pay-what-you-can system. Attendees can select the price they would like to pay for tickets. The WSO recommends $30 per ticket.
See the entire WSO concert schedule here.
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